All You Handy Folks Out There...A DIY Question, Need ASAP

Forums: Home Improvement, Banister Clamp Kit, Safety Gate Accessories
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We are installing a safety gate at the top of our stairs. Problem is, there is a banister at one side so the safety gate cannot be installed. It looks almost exactly like this. (except mine has a gate hooked to the wall and just flapping out there in the breeze with no latch yet Rolling Eyes

)

http://trus.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-4311506dt.jpg

Notice in the picture the board with the clamps around the banister. This is what I need. But they charge you $39.99 for a board and two clamps. I think I can do the exact same thing from my hardware store for cheaper.

Problem is, I can't find a DIY guide for making a kit like this. So my question is two fold.

1- Can anyone else find anything on making your own (maybe my Google is stupid today or something)
2- By looking at it, could you put together a DIY for me to try? What kind of clamps could I use?

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Type: Question • Score: 8 • Views: 2,676 • Replies: 26

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Ok, would this work?

Two planks a bit wider than the banister. Drill holes in top corners of each. Sammich the banister and secure with large nuts/bolts.

Then attach the gate to the plank.

Would that work?

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that's what i was thinking of posting, it should work just fine

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Not very pretty but effective. And no drilling in my banister!!!

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you wouldn't need a full piece of wood for the other side (non-gate side)

pieces at the top and bottom would be sufficient and might not be as obvious

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@djjd62,

Now that is a good idea!

And cheaper!

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http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr73/djjd1962/pTRU1-4311506dt.jpg

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@Bella Dea,

what about doing zip ties instead of bolts? would that hold?

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probably, you'd want to get the best ones you could, you might not need the second pice of wood, although it would offer some protection for the banister (getting marked up), if you go with a strap of some kind, i'd make suer the wood the gate is attached to and the banister are the same width, you'll be able to tighten the straps easier

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@djjd62,

I think I'll still drill the holes into two pieces of wood and then sammich the banister between and zip tie them together.

Cool.

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Will there be a kid on either side of the zip-tied gate?

If yes, I wouldn't recommend it.

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@ehBeth,

Yes. Which is why I asked if they'd hold. The Heavy Duty ones, not the flimsy ones you'd use to tie up cables.

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bolts are the safest bet

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@djjd62,

Bolts it is. Smile

Ain't no amount of money worth my daughter.

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@Bella Dea,

Bella Dea wrote:

Ok, would this work?

Two planks a bit wider than the banister. Drill holes in top corners of each. Sammich the banister and secure with large nuts/bolts.

Then attach the gate to the plank.

Would that work?

Much better than the clamp idea. Clamps will probably not do a secure job of holding the increasing weight of a determined toddler attempting to climb over the gate.

One thing I would add to your proposal is the use of some wide metal washers on each side of the holes, especially if you are going to use something like plywood or particle board. This will make it stronger and less likely that the screws heads will rip through the wood.

This kind:

http://www.ultimate-gear.org/images/products/img/metal-washers-whitebg1_x150.jpg

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I've been thinking about this - have some concern about a little wiggle room happening with the tie-in over time, which, if it happens, might loosen, and might also mar the bannister post surface. So, I've been thinking of perhaps adding a thin sponge at the tie area, or some other material to soften any sort of rubbing by the wood. Then thinking, maybe some kind of filler material (foam rubber?) and enclosure by some kind of metal(?) tie to keep the whole thing from going back and forth. Sounds nice and ugly, and not sure if those would be needed... but regular outside gates need that kind of hold to be very secure to withstand the rigors of gate usage, whether at the closure side or the hinge side.

1 Reply

@ossobuco,

Looking at djjd's pic again, thinking, to do that you have to raise the post. Which makes me wonder how hard it is/expensive to just replace the post after the need for the gate has passed - thus to bolt directly to the post, which is presumably somewhat securely placed.

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@ossobuco,

Though maybe I'm not understanding the photo, re that contraption at the bottom.

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@ossobuco,

ossobuco wrote:

Looking at djjd's pic again, thinking, to do that you have to raise the post. Which makes me wonder how hard it is/expensive to just replace the post after the need for the gate has passed - thus to bolt directly to the post, which is presumably somewhat securely placed.

You could also remove the good banister now and replace it with a cheap 4x4 and put the good banister back when the gate is no longer needed. You'd not need to worry about drilling holes in the 4x4.

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How about a dog gate? There are models that expand to fit an existing opening with no wall damage.

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All You Handy Folks Out There...A DIY Question, Need ASAP

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